Breaking Point
by Sheryl Nantus
Summary: Tony deals with the trauma of being a superhero


Breaking Point

Synopsis: Tony deals with the trauma of being a superhero.

Pairing: Tony/Pepper

Rating: PG-13 (hurt/angst)

Disclaimer: If you seriously think they belong to me please consult with a medical professional.

The phone call came in the middle of Pepper Pott's third glass of wine and second mouthful of chicken alfredo. She paused for a second before picking it up; seeing a blank image on the minute screen.

"Ms Potts?"

"Jarvis?" The redhead took another sip of white wine. "I didn't know you could make phone calls."

"I usually don't need to use this type of communication." The mechanical voice held a note of concern. "I hate to interrupt you on the weekend but Mr. Stark needs you."

"Of course he does." She glanced at her watch. "It's been exactly four hours since I left the house."

"I'm sorry for the interruption." Jarvis apologized, sounding as if he meant it. "Actually, I'm taking the liberty of calling you on his behalf."

"What?" Pepper frowned as she downed the last mouthful, swinging her feet out from under her and standing up. "What's happening? Happened? About to happen?"

"Mr. Stark left on another mission." The voice continued to drone in her ear as she ran to the kitchen, dropping the plate into the sink. "And while he may have been technically successful I feel that there have been… emotional injuries I am incapable of dealing with."

"Okay, I'm on my way." She lunged for her purse, pulling a leather jacket on over her ragged Huey Lewis and The News t-shirt. "I have to call a cab…"

"I have taken the liberty of already contacting Mr. Hogan for you. He's downstairs." Jarvis rumbled in her ear as Pepper slammed the door behind her, fumbling with the lock. "Mr. Stark isn't due back for another hour but I think that you need to be there when he arrives."

"Is he injured?" She inserted the Bluetooth headset into her right ear, closing up the cell phone. "Should I get a doctor?"

"No. Mr. Stark is not injured." Jarvis replied as she bashed the button for the elevator, anxiously tapping the toe of her running shoe up and down as the relic descended to ground level.

Happy already had the back door open, a solemn look on his face. Within seconds of closing the door behind Pepper the car leapt into traffic, pushing and shoving its way through the evening rush hour.

"I'm not understanding you, Jarvis." Pepper closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "'Emotional injuries'? What are you talking about?"

"Estimated arrival time: forty-five minutes." The mechanical voice droned in her ear. "Bringing the suit in using autopilot."

"What?" She put her hand up to the headset. "Is he awake? Is he alive?"

"Mr. Stark is fine. I decided that it would be better for me to take control of the suit to avoid stressing him out any more. He agreed."

"Oh, crap." Pepper leaned forward and put her hand on Happy's shoulder. "Step on it – we'll pay the speeding tickets later."

She sprinted up the steps into the house, leaving the ex-boxer with the promise that she'd call if they needed him and barreled through the hallways; taking the steps down to the workshop three at a time. Tapping in the security code took only a second and then Pepper was standing in the empty garage/workshop; gasping for air.

"Jarvis? Where are you?"

"I am here." The voice sounded somewhat amused. "However, Mr. Stark will be arriving in two minutes."

"Right." Taking a deep breath she walked around the worktables. "So what happened?"

"There were… civilian casualties." The AI said quietly.

Pepper put her hand to her mouth. "Did Tony… I mean, was it…"

"The deaths occurred before he arrived." Jarvis droned. "Unfortunately the group he was tracking seemed to decide that their civilian hostages were not worth the effort of transporting yet again."

She closed her eyes. "How bad was it?"

"Colonel Rhodes sent in medical assistance as soon as possible, but there were no survivors." Jarvis paused. "Arrival imminent. Excuse me while I monitor his landing."

The redhead leaned against one of the worktables and watched as the red and gold suit descended through the still-unfixed hole in the ceiling and landed with a heavy thud. It began to stagger towards the black checkered platform, each step slower and more wobbly. She stared at the bullet holes, the dented armor and the scarlet stains splashed across the front of his chestplate.

Finally the heavy boots managed to position themselves on the platform, the mechanical arms dropping from the ceiling and rising from the floor to strip the knight of his armor. Pepper stepped forward as the human body underneath sagged in the metal grip; his mask pried away by Jarvis's tender metallic hands.

"Tony?" She stared at him; he stared at the floor. She moved forward as the last of the suit disappeared into the floor; he stepped back away from her.

"Tony…" She whispered as she took another step towards him. "It's okay."

"No." He mumbled. "It's not."

Then he fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, curling up in a fetal position.

"Jarvis!" Pepper crouched down beside him. "What's wrong?"

"I believe Mr. Stark is in shock." The AI replied as the arms retracted.

"Tony!" Grabbing his face in both hands she turned him towards her. "Tony!"

He stared at her with unfocused eyes, tears running down his face mixing with a trickle of blood from a cut on his forehead.

"You are not going to do this to me." Pepper growled, taking hold of the black bodysuit by the shoulders. Wrestling him to his feet she dragged him forward as she stumbled backwards towards the elevator. "Talk to me!"

"Pepper?" The dazed eyes blink once, twice. "Pepper?" Then they closed again, the tears surging again as he wept uncontrollably.

She wrestled him into the small elevator, leaning him against the wall as she nudged the button with her elbow. Pressing her body against his she managed to keep him upright as they moved upwards.

"Tony, you need to get out of this… thing. And into a hot shower." Taking hold of his chin she turned his face around to look at her directly. "You need to tell me what's going on. What's happening."

He blinked then looked away, unable to meet her eyes.

Pepper raised her face towards the ceiling as the elevator came to a stop. "Jarvis, get a doctor here."

"No." Tony mumbled. "No doctors. I don't want to see any doctors."

"Then let me help you." She tugged on him as the doors opened. "At least talk to me, Tony. You owe me that much."

The slender woman moved into the living room, pulling her reluctant boss behind her. "If you don't want me to drag you to Emergency or have a doctor here, you have to work with me." Turning around she tugged at the top of the black suit, pulling the zipper down and around the arc reactor.

"Don't." Tony pouted as he followed her into the bathroom, stripping off the top half of his flight suit. "Don't patronize me. I don't deserve it." His arms were covered with fresh bruises and the odd scrape, usually at a joint where the suit had become too tight during some maneuver.

"Don't you start with me." Pepper wagged her finger. "You need a shower and I need to make sure you're okay. It's my job." She added, almost defensively. "So strip down and get into that shower."

The man slumped against the wall, covering his face with his hands. "There were children there, Pep… just babies…" He began to sob uncontrollably again, sliding down to sit on the floor.

"Jarvis, start the water in the shower. Let's start with warm, not too hot." The nozzles in the shower stall began to spit a steady stream of water; the steam rising to fill the room. "Get naked, Stark."

He didn't even raise an eyebrow at the open-ended remark, sniffling as he rested his forehead on his knees.

Letting out a huff of annoyance Pepper pulled her t-shirt off over her head, folding it neatly and putting it to one side on the counter. "I do not believe I'm doing this." She whispered into the growing cloud of steam, pulling off her jeans and shoes. Grabbing an elastic from one pocket she pulled her long red hair up into a tight short ponytail.

A few steps placed her in front of her boss who remained on the floor. "Get. Up. Now." Reaching down she pulled him to his feet, his palms skidding along the tiled wall as he complied. Grabbing hold of the dark pants she efficiently undid the zipper, letting them fall to the ground; leaving him in only a set of dark blue boxers.

"In the shower. Now." Her tone was the same she used in the boardroom relaying Stark's demands and reprimanding Stark for being late for yet another meeting. Except now it was being used in an entirely different environment and, strangely enough, much more effective.

He still didn't look at her, turning away. Her right hand landed on his right shoulder, squeezing it lightly as Pepper pushed him forward.

"In." She took a deep breath as they moved into the stall, the nozzles blasting both bodies with the heated water. A shiver ran through her body as she let out a sigh, feeling her bra and underwear cling to her even more tightly than before.

In front of her Stark didn't move; his hands down by his sides as the hot spray ran over his naked skin. His fingers twisted into fists, then opened again then back into fists as Pepper picked up the washcloth; pouring a liberal amount of shower gel over the dense material.

The redhead let out a low hiss as she ran the washcloth over his broad shoulders; washing away the grit and grime and grease that leaked through the suit and onto his skin. A series of minor cuts on his left shoulder blade got a rougher scrub, prompting Tony to put his hands flat on the wall to prop himself up against the pressure.

"Jarvis called me at home. I was finishing off a nice bottle of Chardonnay." Pepper said in a low voice. "Chicken alfredo."

The dark haired man didn't move as she finished scrubbing his bare back. Moving closer she ran the washcloth up each arm as his palms pressed against the tiles.

"You should check for a leak somewhere. You usually don't have this much junk on you from what I remember." She prattled on, swiping around his neck. "And you should get Jarvis to work on getting more flexibility in the joints. Not enough to let you break your own arm, but it's got to fit better than this." Leaning down she ran the washcloth down the back of his legs, scrubbing lightly. "Turn, please."

Stark padded around in silence, staring down at the bubbles as they swirled around their feet.

"Don't move." The redhead leaned down, gently brushing the washcloth across the front of his legs, pulling away as soon as she reached the bottom of his boxers. Pepper exhaled, suddenly aware that she was out of breath and blushing.

She drew the washcloth up and across his chest, lightly pressing around the glowing arc reactor. "You really need to watch this for chafing. Get more lotion to put on it. Don't need to get an infection here and with all that sweat and stuff inside that suit…" A nasty gash on his right collarbone drew her attention. "That's probably going to need to be bandaged later."

A soft sob came from the man standing in front of her. "I couldn't help them, Pepper. I couldn't do anything but stand there and watch them die." His eyes remained fixed on the floor but she could see fresh tears falling; mingling with the shower water that continued to spray sideways on the two of them.

"You called for help. That's all you could do." She murmured as she took each hand, wiping between fingers and scrubbing his palms. "You didn't design the suit to be a portable hospital."

"It was my fault they died." He mumbled, dragging in a deep breath. "The bastards saw me coming and they killed them all."

"No, it wasn't your fault." The redhead noticed that his eyes never moved from his feet, maybe to her feet but never up to the translucent panties or the matching bra that had never meant to be soaked standing in a shower with her boss. "Those thugs killed them. If you hadn't arrived they would have done it anyway sooner or later."

"It was my fault." Tony repeated. "Everything I touch kills. Everyone I go near dies."

"No." Pepper repeated. "Now lift your head up so I can see how bad that cut on your forehead is."

He didn't move. She put her hand on his chin, tugging lightly. "Up. Now."

Eyes closed, Tony tilted his head up.

"Doesn't need stitches, thank goodness." The washcloth moved over his forehead; the white foam running down over his face. "Keep them closed unless you want to try and rinse the soap out." A gentle swipe across his cheeks; his nose and chin. Her hand moved around to the back of his neck. "Need to do your hair as well. Just lean back a bit more."

The warm spray soaked through the greasy dark strands as she turned to the side, exchanging the washcloth for a plastic bottle. "I swear you have to figure out some sort of self-cleaning process for that suit." Her fingers ran through his hair, rubbing in the shampoo. "Just let it soak in for a minute or two." Pepper put the bottle back on the shelf, watching him stand in silence, eyes tightly closed. A whimper escaped his lips as she began to rinse out the shampoo.

"You've got a huge bump here in the back." The redhead growled. "Need more padding, obviously. Good thing you don't have a concussion." She brushed the damp hair down. "There. All done." Looking up at the ceiling Pepper raised her voice. "Jarvis, cut the water please."

The water spray disappeared, leaving the two of them standing in a misty world of steam. Pepper stepped out first, grabbing one of the heated towels from a cabinet next to the stall. Wrapping it around her she managed to remove her now soaked underwear, dropping it discreetly in a corner of the room.

"Good thing I take yoga." She joked, turning around as she pulled her jeans and shirt back on without dropping the towel.

Dead silence.

Pepper turned back to see Tony still standing in the stall, water dripping off of his fingers and the edges of his goatee as his head dipped down again.

Taking a deep breath she stepped forward with a second large towel. "Come here."

He shuffled out of the stall slowly; his bare feet landing on the floor. Her fingers spun the towel around him, tucking in the edges.

"Off." She gestured at his waist. "You can't go to bed in those; I'm not going to deal with soaked sheets. I'm going to go get you something dry but you're taking those off yourself." Spinning on one foot she trotted out of the room with all due haste, heading for the bedroom.

It took a few minutes to find a set of track pants that were clean, but she didn't rush back to the bathroom. As it was she rapped her knuckles on the doorframe before tossing in the pants. "Just leave the wet ones on the floor. I'll take care of it later." Her eyes caught the reflection of Tony Stark in the mirror, staring at the dark olive clothing as if it were an alien object. The towel dropped to the floor and Pepper glanced away quickly.

"Come in here when you finish." She raised her voice. "Jarvis, muted lighting." The bedroom lights dimmed slightly, casting shadows across the king-sized bed. The windows were clear and she could see boats out on the water, their lights bobbing up and down as they searched for a safe port.

Tony Stark stumbled into the bedroom, still unable to meet her eyes. Walking over to him she took his hand. "Tony, you can't save everyone. You're not God."

His eyes suddenly flashed to lock with hers; the dark orbs startling her with their intensity. "God should have thought twice before saving me."

The slap across his face startled them both.

Pepper's mouth hung open, her right hand falling to her side as she stared at the red mark on Tony's cheek. For his part he didn't flinch.

"Don't you say that!" She snarled, her hand now curling up into a fist. "Don't you ever say that again!"

He stared at her, a puzzled look on his face.

"Get up here." The redhead grabbed his arm, pulling him up onto the bed. He followed meekly, kneeling on the mattress beside her.

"Do you know how terrified I was when Stane pulled himself up out of the ground?" Pepper shook her head; the loose hair flying about her face. "He stood there and he told me that 'my services would no longer be needed' and then that gatling gun started to spin and spin and spin…" She put one hand to her mouth to muffle a cry; the tears spilling from her eyes. "Do you know how I felt, right then? I knew I was going to die and no one would know who did it or why or even find my remains."

His own tears began to flow as he gulped for air; trying to speak and failing miserably. Hesitantly his right hand came up, brushing a scarlet strand away from her shoulders. It hovered in the air between them until she grabbed it, pressing it to her heart.

"You saved me. You came down like a rocket and slammed that bastard and saved me, Tony." She pushed his palm against the thin fabric. "Feel that."

Stark frowned for a second them pressed down, fingers splayed against the front of the t-shirt. His eyes never left hers as he let out his breath slowly. Then his left hand reached out to touch Pepper's right wrist, pulling it forward; placing it against the arc reactor palm-down.

She didn't resist, pressing lightly against the blue dome and the heart underneath. "You can't save the world, Tony – but you've already saved me. And yourself. It's not a bad start."

They lay there for a few minutes in silence, hands pressed against each other's heart and eyes locked on each other in the dim light.

Finally Tony stretched out on the mattress, his hand still entwined in her shirt. She smiled, moving to lie beside him without removing her hand. Letting out a weary sigh he broke eye contact, relaxing into the pillow.

Pepper waited and watched, seeing the tightness begin to disappear from his face; his muscles.

Suddenly his eyes shot open. "Be here when I come back?" He whispered, a panicky tone in his voice.

"I promise." She looked down to where his hand remained pressed against her; fingers clutching the thin fabric tightly. "Good night, Mr. Stark." Leaning forward she kissed his forehead, her hand still on his chest.

"Good night, Ms Potts." He mumbled; eyes closed.

He woke up suddenly, the bright light of the morning sun spreading across the bedroom and threatening to blind him. "Jarvis, half-dim." The windows darkened slightly but still let in most of the sunlight. Squinting as his eyes adjusted he could make out the image of the woman lying next to him; a peaceful look on her face as she burrowed into the pillow.

His right hand was where he had left it; pressed tightly against the concert t-shirt. The left hand lay on her hip, just tucked into the top of her jeans. Letting out a wistful sigh he pulled it back, then turned his attention to his right hand. Tony went to move it but paused for a minute, feeling the pulse under his touch.

Pepper stirred slightly, licking her lips as her right hand pushed forward on the arc reactor; fingers curled around the edges of the blue light. Gently he reached down and detached her grip, placing her hand on the pillow between them. Her left hand had slipped under his pillow sometime during the night; curling up under his head. That he left alone.

Sliding his own hand free he moved to stroke her sleeping face, seeing her curl into his touch. With a smile he moved forward, lips slightly parted. But just before he kissed her Tony stopped.

Pulled back.

And placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, much as she had given him just a few hours ago.

"Thank you, Ms Potts." He whispered, his lips close to her ear. Tugging up the sheets he covered her sleeping form, carefully crawling free of the bed.

Standing at the window he looked out at the rising sun, stretching his arms high in the air.

"Jarvis, start a diagnostic of the suit. We've got some work to do. There's too much crap getting under my skin, literally. And get Rhodey on the horn; I want to know what's going on in that area. Those bastards couldn't have gotten too far." Grabbing up a sweatshirt from the closet he disappeared from sight, whistling a jaunty tune as he wrestled it over his head. "And order in something for brunch; call that place that Pepper likes and get the entire spread. Plus a few bottles of Chardonnay."

Pepper's eyes opened just as the last note of the song died away. Letting out a sigh she reached out and pulled the other pillow close, curling up with it in her arms with a soft smile. "Whatever Mr. Stark needs..."


End file.
